Archive for August 2015

A federal jury has awarded a 2-year-old girl a staggering $17 million, finding that subpar care at a Bellevue hospital led to her severe disability. The verdict issued this week could test Nebraska’s strict cap on medical malpractice awards. Nebraska … The post Nebraska Medical Tort Cap Could Face Test with $17M Jury Award appeared…

Allstate Corp. reported net income fell to $355 million in the second quarter, down from $645 million, as the insurer coped with rising auto claims costs. The Allstate brand suffered an underwriting loss for the quarter. The company stressed that … The post Allstate Sees Auto Claims Rise appeared first on Claims Journal. Source: Claims…

The rise of rampant claims litigation against property insurers following hailstorms in Texas has created a “cottage industry” that not only threatens the financial health of the state’s property insurers, but also puts insurance consumers at risk, says a Dallas-based … The post Attorney Hits Texas Hail Claims ‘Cottage Industry’ Bilking Public, Insurers appeared first…

The U.S. Climate Prediction Center’s updated 2015 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook calls for a 90 percent chance of a below-normal hurricane season. A below-normal season is now even more likely than predicted in May, when the likelihood of a below-normal … The post Forecasters Affirm Below-Normal Atlantic Hurricane Season appeared first on Claims Journal. Source:…

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee would pay $21 million to more than 300 victims of clergy abuse in a settlement plan decried by advocates for those abused by clergy as paltry but praised by the archbishop as a “rebirth.” … The post Victim Advocates Unhappy With Milwaukee Archdiocese Settlement Plan appeared first on Claims…

Erie, Pa., has had some tragic days, but Aug. 3, 1915, ranks at the top. At 8:45 p.m. that Tuesday, a wall of water tore through the city at 25 mph, lifting houses from their foundations, ripping pavement from streets … The post Pennsylvania Documents Reveal Intensity of 1915 Mill Creek Flood appeared first on…

It could take up to another year of research to determine what has caused a recent series of Oklahoma earthquakes and whether the state is doing enough to stop them, officials said Tuesday. After meeting with members of the Coordinating … The post Oklahoma Officials Working to End Earthquakes Say it Will Take Time appeared…

Smile and the world smiles with you – unless you’re having your driver’s license renewed. It’s been three years since New Jersey instituted its “no smiling” policy for driver’s license photos – a measure designed to make life easier for … The post ‘No Smile’ License Policy Has New Jersey Drivers Frowning appeared first on…

In a nationwide study, researchers from the University of Georgia School of Social Work found that individuals of any age who used illicit drugs such as marijuana, cocaine or heroin within the past year had a higher likelihood of misusing … The post Study Identifies Factors Affecting Prescription Pain Reliever Misuse appeared first on Claims…

Federal health officials laid out extra safety measures that hospitals can take to clean specialized medical scopes that have been linked to sometimes deadly bacterial outbreaks across the U.S. However, Food and Drug Administration officials acknowledged on Tuesday that not … The post FDA Outlines Extra Steps to Clean Scopes Linked to Outbreaks appeared first…